Iga Swiatek was in preparation mode for the Mutua Madrid Open alongside new coach Francisco Roig, while claycourt legend Rafael Nadal overlooked the proceedings a few days ago. The Pole has had a disappointing season and is still yearning for her first major title of the year.
Swiatek endured a harrowing run during the Sunshine Swing, which continued at the Stuttgart Open, where she suffered a heartbreaking quarterfinal loss to Mirra Andreeva. Now, with her eyes set on the Madrid Open, the first WTA 1000 event of the clay season, Swiatek will be hoping to repeat her triumphant run from the 2024 edition.
When asked how she felt about Nadal joining her for a brief moment during practice, the Pole admitted she felt some nerves while practicing in front of her idol at the Caja Magica in Madrid.
“First 15 minutes of practice, I was so tight. I was like, ‘Oh my God, how should I play? He’s watching, he’s right there, you know’. But honestly, it was my first days outside on clay. So I also gave myself space to… he was like, actually, he knows how it is. So he had every possible experience, probably on the court. So no one expected me to play perfectly already,” Swiatek said.
Iga Swiatek Identified the Areas of Improvement in Her Game
Ahead of commencing her journey at the Madrid Open, the 2024 tournament champion and the 2023 finalist was asked what she thought was lacking in her gameplay, which has led to a disappointing run so far this season.
“Honestly, I feel it’s the way of practicing. And I feel like I’ve been doing a lot of, like, closed patterns. And the rallies, sometimes during my practices, were kind of short. Where I sometimes really needed to feel solid. And you need to have this feeling in your hand that you’re not going to miss a ball, you know?” the Pole said.
“And I feel, honestly, this Spanish type of coaching really helps that. Because Spanish players are usually, like, really solid, really fighting for every point. And, like, being ready for long rallies as well. So that’s why I feel like we have the same goals with Francis,” she added.
“I feel like after these practices in Mallorca, I’ve been able not to make any rash decisions. For example, when I play, like, the sixth or seventh shot in a rally. Which I kind of did for the last year. So also the decision-making needs to change if you want to be more of a grinder. And sometimes not take too much risk if you don’t need to,” Swiatek concluded.
Swiatek begins her quest at the Madrid Open in the round of 64 on Thursday, where she will either face Daria Kasatkina or a qualifier.
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